I heart you, I keep you
by Tszaras
Summary: Ichigo lost the love of his life because of a beast many times more dangerous than any hollow-a creature so dangerous that the dreaded squad 0 has been sent to destroy it. But, the beast doesn't want to fight: It wants to mate... With Ichigo.
1. Chapter 1

_Prologue_

Tatsuki Arisawa invited me to take part in her weekly group study session. I accepted.

I could not afford to refuse, not only because I was new in Japan, but because I was struggling to adjust. Karakura town was not radically different from my home town in size, but the people in it were so strange. The Japanese culture was so much more complex and formal. As a Seattle girl with Dominican parents, I had no idea how we'd ended up here.

Oh wait, yes I did. My mother signed me up for some student exchange program, and of course it just had to be Japan. I asked to go to Paris, but she insisted I go to Japan.

"_All the white kids at your school applied to got to Europe so they can party and drink. You, child, don't have the money to be waisting. You are going where teenagers are neutered and well controlled: Japan." _

Oh, how wrong she was. There was no such thing as a well controlled teenager.

The students at Karakura High School were generally nice to me. There was, of course, Keigo Asano. While he was very loud and boisterous, he was also very friendly, especially with girls. My first day he made such a fuss over me. 

I came in early, trying to go unnoticed, and took a seat near the window. I found myself tugging at my uniform a lot. I'd miscalculated the size conversions, and ordered my skirts and shirts too small. I should have known better: It wasn't like I was skinny. And that ridiculous bow wouldn't stay in place. One of my classmates- a girl with red hair -offered to help me, but I declined. She eyed my breasts a little too hungrily.

I sat there, staring out the window, preparing generic responses in my mind, since Japanese was not my first language. I found myself reciting them aloud, to myself. Or so I thought.

"My name... are—no- is Youri Kamachi. I am from Seattle, Washington, in America, and I am Dominican and American. I have fifteen years of age. And I enjoy to eat the pears..." I heard a soft chuckle from behind me, so I turned.

He was behind me, staring down at me. I remember, he was almost a foot taller than me, even then. He was also very handsome, yet rude, and arrogant, but noble and sincere all at once. I did not know it, but I was staring into the brown eyes of my future husband.

"Well, as nice as it is to hear all of that, I would appreciate if you got out of my seat." I did not know very much Japanese then, but I understood the tone he was using perfectly. It was that irritated but calmly remaining pleasant tone. I dropped my eyes, and quickly moved to get out of his seat. Suddenly, there was aloud smacking noise. I looked up, and saw a girl standing behind him, while he rubbed the back of his head. A tall, lean girl with black, spiky hair had smacked him on the back of the head.

"Ow! Tatsuki, what the hell?" He growled.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Ichigo? Why would you talk like that to a new student? Clearly it's her first day here!" He rubbed the back of his head, soothing the forming bruise.

"I wasn't talking to her like anything. I just wanted my seat." The girl rolled her eyes at him.

"Oh, get over it you big baby." She turned to me with a smile. And held out her hand. "Welcome to Karakura High School. I'm Tatsuki Arisawa." We shook hands. She nodded to the grumbling boy behind her. "That's Ichigo urosaki. Sorry about that, he's kind of an acquired taste. But, he's harmless, I swear. It's all just an act." I saw a look of comic exasperation wash over him.

"Harmless? An act?" He muttered. He scoffed, and stalked off to the other end of the classroom. Another boy entered the classroom then. He immediately took a flying leap toward Ichigo.

"ICHIGOOO!" He yelled, only to be struck down by the brooding teen. Clearly, the attack had not subdued him. He hopped up and began rambling about some nonsense.

"You'll never believe it! Guess who's paired up? Ishida and Orihime!" I saw Ichigo roll his eyes.

"Really, Keigo? You're just now finding out? They've been dating for a few months now." He muttered nonchalantly. The other boy's jaw hit the floor in shock.

"What! Why doesn't anyone tell me these things anymore?" He whined.

"Well, that's probably because-" Keigo smacked his palm into Ichigo's face, and interrupted.

"WAIT! Hold the phone... We have a new student, who is hot!" He shouted. I blinked, and he was in front of me, eyes darting all over my body. He hung an arm around Ichigo and pointed at me. "Look at that body! Those boobs! Those lips! That sexy tan skin! And just check out her butt. I hear American girls have asses that look better than Tatsuki's face!" Ichigo dropped his head.

"Why the hell do I talk to you? It always pisses me off."

_Damn it, why do I always attract the weirdos?_ I thought.

"Well, hello there, gorgeous." He said, wiggling his eyebrows at me. "My name is Keigo Asano, best looking and most popular guy in school. And I assume you have a name as pretty as you are?" He arched his eyebrow and leaned toward me. It made me uncomfortable, so I took a step back, but found myself seated on Ichigo's desk, again.

"I, erm... My name is Youri Kamachi." I stammered. He leaped for joy.

"Youri! Oh, what a lovely name. I shall take you under my wing, and show you what a gentleman is like." He grabbed one of my hands, and planted a gentle kiss on it. "I want to ask you- if you don't find it rash- to be my date this up and coming weekend? Maybe we can go to the beach. I heard there's a new nude section opening and-" He was silenced by both Tatsuki and Ichigo planting their elbows into the back of his neck, and shouting.

"WOULD YOU KNOCK IT OFF?" Tatsuki frowned at the unconscious Keigo, splayed out on the floor.

"Sorry about him. Unlike Ichigo, unfortunately, it isn't an act. That's Keigo's personality." She shook her head. Ichigo frowned.

"Would you stop calling it an act, already?"

"Why? That's what it is. At any rate, I think you should apologize to Youri." He pouted, and looked away. "Now, Ichigo!" She pressed. He sighed, and begrudgingly swallowed his pride. He towered over me again, with his hand's in his pockets.

"My name is Ichigo. It's very nice to meet you." He offered me a hand. "I apologize if I came off as a jerk, earlier." I smiled, and took his hand.

"It is fine, Ichi-go. I am Youri... It is nice to meet you as well."

We should have dropped our handshake at that moment, but it did not end. There was something about his hands, strong, with long fingers, that felt right. It was as if I could sense we would be holding hands for many years. I stared at them for a moment. I found my gaze going back to his face. His expression was rather confused, like it was strange we were still holding hands. I dropped it immediately, and went to the only empty seat, in the classroom that was now filled with staring students. I heard their whispers.

"Pretty bold of her, hitting on Kurosaki on her first day."

"Who does she think she is?"

"I heard she's an American. They're totally crude."

"He's so not into the small, delicate types."

"Did you see her boobs? She's only as tall as Rukia, but they're awesome!"

**x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.**

It was later that day, during lunch, that I got to know some of the others better. Tatsuki introduced me to her friend Orihime. I liked her immediately, because she was very sweet, and seemed to take an immediate liking to me. She even offered me some of her mystery lunch. The others were fairly kind as well, when they weren't giving me underhanded compliments, hitting on me, or asking awkward questions.

Chizuru, the girl who had attempted to grope me earlier, was still looking at my chest. The shirt had gotten so uncomfortably tight that I had to undo the first three buttons. Keigo had fallen out of his seat twice trying to look at my boobs. The very top of the cups on my bra were visible, but I didn't count on anyone actually peeking. Chizuru, however was practically hypnotized in my cleavage.

"Wow. That is gorgeous." she stated, leaning in closer. Tatsuki frowned.

"Jeeze, it's her first day here, you filthy pervert!" she yelled. Chizuru shrugged innocently.

"What? I was just admiring her bra. That's a Victoria's Secret Bio Fit bra, in purple, with black lace trim; size 34 C right?" My jaw fell in amazement. She was exactly right. I immediately put on my jacket.

"Are you cold, Youri?" Orihime asked. I smiled.

"Not exactly." She laughed a little.

"So, you're from America, right? What's it like?" She asked.

"It's different from Japan. I guess, we're a bit more lax on social customs. But lifestyle wise, it's similar. I've only lived there for half my life though. Originally, I am from the Dominican Republic."

"That's so interesting, and exotic!" she beamed. "And you're so smart. You worked out that logarithmic spiral thing so fast on the board. I just got confused when Ochi sensei started talking about thetas and cosines. Even Ichigo looked confused when you were finished." she sighed. "I miss when math had numbers instead of words. It's so confusing. "At that point, one of the other girls perked up.

"Speaking of Ichigo, we're all kind of wondering. What's your take on big bad Ichigo Kurosaki? I saw you were holding hands." Suddenly, all the others leaned in closer, like wolves, closing in on prey. Orihime began rambling.

"Oh yes!" she cheered. "That would be perfect! If you paired with him, then he'd stop being the fifth wheel. Of course, Chad would still be a sixth wheel. After all, I have Uryuu, and Rukia has Renji, so poor Ichigo must always feel so alone. Except for when he's with Chad or Tatsuki. Then they can all be lonely together."

I stared blankly, before dispelling the nonsense.

"Actually, I don't think much of him, good or bad." Orihime practically melted.

"Don't tell me... Keigo has stolen your heart?" The other girls gasped.

"That quickly? Man, she's so irresistable."

"Damn that sexy body of hers! It's like catnip for boys."

Orihime rose to her feet. "How could he steal Ichigo's future love interest? Don't worry, I handle him." I shook my head.

"No, I don't like Keigo either. I'm really just not interested."

"Could have fooled me." came a voice from the trees. A girl, slightly shorter than myself approached the group.

"Oh, hello Rukia." Orihime beamed. "This is Youri, the new girl from our class. She's telling us about how she and Ichigo are not together, even though they are clearly made for each other."

Everyone gasped.

"Orihime! How can you say such things?"

"You've jinxed it!"

"If she and Ichigo get married I will kill you!"

Rukia looked at me carefully, getting uncomfortably close. I shrunk away from her. Then, she straited up and smirked.

"Orihime's right. You are the opposite of Ichigo, and therefore a perfect match."

She and Orihime went on for five minutes, planning how they believed we would get together, who would wear the pants in the marriage, and who got to be godmother to our children. I could only sit and listen.

"I think that Ichigo will reveal his inner romantic side, and propose to her by the river, in the fall, at sunset. Their wedding will have an earth tones color scheme. She will be a nuclear physicist and Ichigo will be a house husband, and take care of their two children- a boy and a girl, named Yuu and Kai." Orihime stated. Rukia frowned.

"That's just silly! Ichigo isn't romantic! He would probably let her get away when they go off to college, and then, at the ten year reunion, they'll reconnect and elope. And they'll have at least three or four kids! Look at them, Orihime. Do you think if two people as hot as them lived together they wouldn't be doing it as often as possible?" She argued.

"Touchè. They both have a lot of sex appeal. Orihime admitted. "But you didn't come up with names for your godchildren, therefore you loose, and they are mine."

"And just how is that?" Rukia snapped.

"I gave them names. Clearly, I love the unborn children of Ichigo and Youri more than you!" she sneered.

The other girls fainted. I felt like I should blush. Just the thought of that tall, handsome man being perfect for me... I shook away that girlish inclination. We weren't meant to be. That was utter bullshit. And we definitely weren't going to have kids together.

We were just classmates. And we barely understood each other.

Tatsuki scoffed. "Rukia, don't tell me you've lost it too? God, what has love done to you people?" she sighed. "Sorry about them. They are such...girls. Anyway, I want to invite you to come and study with us, since you actually understand the math mumbo jumbo that comes out of that womans mouth. We meet at Orihime's apartment around seven, study until nine."

**x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x**

The study session had been more of a pajama party than studying. What had I expected? Eight girls, lots of chips and candy, rock and roll music? I had not studied much, but I had made some friends. Now, I was on my way home. It was raining lightly, when my life ended the first time.

I remember very little.

I was walking steadily, under the shield of my umbrella, when I noticed a man behind me. I ignored him, taking him for a passerby. I turned up an alley, and cut through the park. The rain was letting up now. I looked up, to see the mist in the trees. When I looked down, the man was now in front of me, leaned against a lamp post. My pulse went up, considerably. He stepped into the path, blocking me.

"Excuse me." I said quietly.

"Speak up, darling. I can barely hear you."

"Excuse me. I... need you to stand aside, so I can pass." I said, louder. He leaned toward me, with an evil smirk.

"I'm afraid I can not allow that."

This man... His entire body radiated evil. But his appearance confused me. He had orange hair, and brown eyes, just like the boy from my class.

"Ichigo, is that you?"

"Ichigo? I sure hope you aren't talking about Ichigo Kurosaki, that annoying soul reaper." He snorted. "How dare you mistake me for him! I was just going to kill you before. Now, I think I'll toy with you first." He plucked something off of his necklace and dropped it on the ground. In it's place, a flower emerged. I stared, and watched as an adorable, mouse like creature emerged.

"Hello, master. What shall I do?" the high pitched voice asked.

"Ritz, my dear. Show this human who she is dealing with."

The little rat scampered, and leaped at me, disappearing inside my chest. Then I felt far away, like I was watching my body from across the park. The flower opened up on my chest, and the man simply stood in front of me.

"Mabashi the bount. Remember, human. That's the name of the man who is about to kill you." He smirked. "Ritz?"

"Yes master?"

"You look so cute. I'm almost tempted to keep this body as a toy... Yes, soft lips, nice curves...But, I'm feeling hungry. I think I'll have a little snack instead." He took my body in his arms, like we were lovers. "Hold still." He whispered.

His lips were on mine. I won't lie,this bastard, Mabashi, was an amazing kisser. But something was not right. I could feel myself slipping away, into darkness. It was like I was dying.

I was dying. And all that I could do was stand there. I felt my body getting heavy.

"What a pity. You would have been an adorable pet." He mused. Suddenly, he jumped away from me. I fell into the grass on my back. I saw another man towering above me. My vision was hazy, but I could tell he was tall, blond, and dressed in dark robes. He was also carrying a sword.

"You again!" Mabashi hissed.

"I told you, I came here to kill bounts." He took a stance, preparing to fight.

"Ritz, return!" He yelled. I felt the roots of the flower unraveling from around my heart as the creature left my body. It scampered to my attacker, and they fled. "You can't stop me! There are plenty of souls for the taking." He cackeled as he faded into the distance.

"Coward." Scoffed the man who had saved me.

He knelt down beside me, and lifted me up. He muttered something about there still being a small hope of saving me. I knew that there was not. I clutched the front of his robes an whispered.

"Stop him... Please." He looked me over, and sighed.

"You will die."

"I already have... Please. Save someone who is alive." Everything began to echo, like my head was an empty cathedral. I felt my body being laid down gently, and then footsteps, when he left me there to die.

I was at peace, and ready to die.

It was such a beautiful night: the clouds had left the sky, so I could feel the light of the moon washing over me.

But, I was not alone. Someone crouched beside me, and watched me as I laid there, awaiting uneventful death. I thought of Ichigo then, and wondered.

"I guess we'll never know, Ichigo."

**x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x**

I watched the girl get attacked.

I watched her soul being taken from her body.

I saw her turn the soul reaper away, and send him after the bount.

I sat, on a tree limb, watching her die.

I felt pity, and slight admiration for her.

She never begged, or cried.

She had died with dignity, unlike most humans would.

I felt her soul growing weak, and decided that I would have her then.

I would inhabit her stinking human body, since I did not have one of my own.

And then she would live, until I no longer needed her.

I hopped from the trees, and stood above her. She was truly at the edge of death, because she saw me, and soul reapers.

"_Little human girl, I pity you. I almost love you. I will bind us together, and lend you my strength. Then, you can live. Will you accept my soul, and bind it with your own?"_

"_Who are you?"_

"_I am no one... Will you accept me, and live?"_

"_Yes, no one. I will accept you..."_


	2. Chapter 2

_Eight Years Later_

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

Youri Kamachi-Kurosaki loved her husband dearly, but her patience was growing weak. It was difficult for her. She and Ichigo had fallen in love when they were young and stupid, and had made a commitment to remain with each other until death. There had been their occasional spats, a few, short lived break ups, and she had even gone as far as throwing him out of their home once. But, those things never lasted, love always got the better of them. She sighed, and flipped over in bed, only to stare at his empty place.

Ichigo had been gone for ten days.

She knew he was strong, and stubborn, but he was also reckless. She knew the things he had to face when he went away, or when one of those monsters ventured into Karakura town. She was also minutely aware of the darkness in his own heart- his lust for battle. He always went in, with his guns blazing, and prepared to do battle even if it killed him.

She had asked him to swear he would not put his life in danger unnecessarily,and he had agreed. She knew it was a promise that he was incapable of keeping, but it comforted her. Even so, she was never fully at peace, from the time he left, until the moment she could wrap her arms around him, and inhale his faint coconut musk.

So, until then, she would just go on with her life as best she could.

She would go to sleep, and keep his side of the bed warm.

Ichigo had returned to the world of the living, and was on his way home. He'd stopped by the little Urahara shop to collect his body, thanked the man, and began walking home. He could have called his wife, and he knew that she would have driven to get him. But, he chose not to, since she was most likely asleep. It was late, after eleven, at least.

Before he left the shop, Urahara made it a point to tease him.

"You know Ichigo, that's one pretty girl you married. She's smart too. She even followed you, all the way here before you went to the Soul Society last week." He stated, with a rare tone of seriousness. Ichigo felt a rush of cold down his spine.

"What do you mean, Urahara?"

"I mean just what I said. When you left your body here for safe keeping, she followed you, Ichigo." He paused, letting the words sink in. The younger man closed his eyes and sighed, before connecting with his friend in the most serious way.

"How much did she see?"

"Everything." he answered gravely. "I assume you both said your goodbyes before you came over. Well, she followed you here, and waited outside for a few minutes. When she came in, she witnessed you leaving your body. She saw your body go limp, and thought you had died. She rushed to your side immediately and completely lost it. You crossed over into the Soul Society so quickly, that you missed it." He removed his hat, revealing his pale face. It was stained by a deep bruise around his left eye. "She's also got a pretty fierce left hook." He joked. He could see the anxiety in the boys face. He put a hand on the boys shoulder. "She really loves you, Ichigo. She even gave me this when I tried to console her. Tessai had to restrain her so that I could use the memory replacement device on her."

Ichigo looked away. He hated when she, or any of the people her loved, were dragged into this world unnecessarily. He had almost gotten them killed that way more than enough times to know how much of a disaster it could be.

"I take it that device created an all new set of memories, again. Any idea what it was?" Urahara nodded.

"She thinks that this shop is an undercover sting, run by the FBI." he chuckled. "She seems to think that you are some big bad secret agent. She referred to you as her 'sexy badass' agent of the FBI." Ichigo frowned at Urahara.

"Great." He groaned.

"Hey, you are the one who decided to lie." He put his hat back on. "All of this could be easier, if you weren't so stubborn." He said quietly. "If she were attacked by a hollow, she would be able to see you." He explained. Ichigo looked at him angrily.

"Don't you even think of suggesting that." He growled. "I would never put her in danger, just so she can see me. Besides, once she is able to see soul reapers, that' s not all she'll see." The old man nodded in understanding. This was why soul reapers were forbidden to be with humans. It was just too much.

"Ichigo." He began. "If you aren't planning to tell her the truth, then you should consider what's most practical."

"What are you saying?"He snapped.

"If it were me, Ichigo, and If I really loved someone, I would have never gotten involved with them, until after they died. But,since it's too late for that.." Ichigo was still with disbelief. His fists clenched in rage.

"What, Urahara?" He muttered lowly. "Please, tell me, what would you do if you we're me?"

"Well, I would erase her memory of me. And I would leave her alone until she dies." Ichigo scoffed, and turned to leave.

"Even if she forgot, I wouldn't."

He sighed a thanks to old hat and clogs as he left.

No one could understand.

Youri Kamachi had not been an easy fish to catch. She had been an even more difficult fish to keep. He was tired of feeding her lies, pretending that he worked for nameless corporations, and couldn't tell her any details about what he did. He hated going into the Soul Society, knowing that if he died there she would be at the mercy of the high council. They would probably let her live, since she knew nothing, or erase her memory, as an extra precaution. What would she fill that empty space with?

Vacations?

Family?

Or another man?

He shook the thought away. He would stay with her, and they would grow old together. If his body died first, he would follow her until the day she died, and then he would take her soul to the Seireitei and marry her again. He was positive it would be frowned upon, but he did not care. He had decided that he would do it anyway, and accept their punishment later. He would not risk sending her there with a konso and then searching for her in the Rukongai. If he did, it could be years, decades, or even an eternity before her found her. He would rather risk the hand of Central 46.

Thoughts like this were the exact reason that he hated to go to the Soul Society in the first place. He had become involved with the soul reapers by a complete accident. That accident had changed his life, yes, in a wonderful way. But it had ended his human life, in a sense. He maintained his human body and life in the world of the living, but it often conflicted with his status as a soul reaper. He was a living human, but a defender of the dead as well. He was allowed to care for his loved ones, yet expected to view all human souls as equal in value. He was a soul reaper, but only by definition. He had to abide by their rules, and risk his life, even though he was not included as one of them. It was all a collection of 'buts'. Conditions, expectations, and limitations.

He regretted none of them. He was consoled by the fact he had the ability to save everyone.

Ichigo unlocked the door to his home, and slipped in quietly. The key scratched and grumbled as it turned. He had been meaning to replace the lock for half a year now. He hoped it was not enough to wake her. He knew she was asleep because it was pitch black inside.

She loved the dark, but only when she was sleeping. He smiled, recalling her comical contrasts. She slept in the pitch black, but would leap into his arms if the power went out, suddenly, during a storm. She had grown up in the heart of the tropics, where a storm could mean anything from gentle rainfall, to massive devastation. He could comprehend, but never understand. He remembered that every time there had been lightning, or high winds and rain, she would curl up into herself and sob quietly. He would take her into his arms, and speak softly to her, promising that they would be fine.

He crept carefully down the hall, and opened the door to their bedroom, silently. He looked at her with silent awe. She was sound asleep, on his side of the bed, with his pillow clutched in her arms. He decided to lie beside her, without disturbing her. They could talk in the morning.

On a normal day, Youri would have woken up around seven. Today, something caused her to stir at around five. That was way too early. She looked around, wondering what could have done it. She did not hear police sirens, gunshots, or any other commotion. She did notice that the slope of the mattress was incorrect. It should have had a much gentler slope, since she was alone. She heard the sound of gentle breathing. There had to be someone in her bed. But who? Her husband was not home. Could it be one of the dangerous men he hunted with the FBI? A burglar?

Youri waited a moment. She felt the stranger move beside her, and grunt lowly. She was going to wait for the right opportunity and make a run for it. Then she felt strong arms wrap around her, and soft lips against the back of her ears, her one weak spot. She groaned with pleasure.

"Hmph. I see you haven't changed." someone said quietly. There was only one person in the world who could have known that, or who would be so cocky. She rolled over and and greeted his brown eyes with her soft gray-green ones. He smiled down at her, and brought his lips to her forehead. She brought her hands around and pressed her palms to his shoulder blades. From there her hands trailed and traced his entire body; his strong arms and toned chest, his powerful thighs, muscular ass, and lastly, his face. It had not changed a bit in eight years, with the exception of a thin coat of hair on his chin and cheeks. Peach fuzz, very sexy. It made him look more grown up, since his height and muscles did not always convince people that he was in his late twenties now. Youri put her hand on his cheek, and ran the other through his orange hair.

"Ichi-go." She sighed. She pulled his head into her cleavage. Her lingering Dominican accent still made her break his name apart. Usually, he would make fun of her, but not now.

He smiled, and looked her up and down. He noted that she was wearing one of his shirts and a pair of his boxers as pajamas. He smirked at her. He loved the way she broke his name in two, since it was unusual for her native tongue.

"I believe this" he tugged playfully at the front of the shirt. "belongs to me."

"I am aware." She said quietly, giving no indication that she had understood his subtle words of seduction. She was, however, very much aware. He was trying to imply that she was his sweet property, and that made her want him more than anything.

Youri loved sex with Ichigo, but not as much as she loved holding him, like this. With his orange hair just beneath her nose, so she could smell the faint coconut musk that set her mind at ease. He told her that her body had a gentle, clean scent. Like the scent of linens drying in the wind of the ocean. She loved the feeling of his body, so close to her own, especially when they were on their sides, with no one dominating. It still amazed her, how much bigger than her her was. She was five foot three, and had been since high school. He was five foot eleven, and had always towered nearly a full foot taller than her.

Ichigo loved sex with Youri too. He loved it when she wrapped her arms around him, and held on for dear life beneath him. He loved how she could make him feel like a perverted brute with her thrashing, blushing, and moaning. Her breath would grow erratic, as she called out his name and begged him for more. But, Youri had a dark side. There were times when her lust burned hotter than flames, and devoured him whole. When she initiated, Ichigo could be sure of two things: she wanted him, and she was going to have her way whether he came along or not. It still amazed him, how this small woman could make him feel needed, or unneeded, strong, or completely dominated. She could play the innocent, beautiful, quiet girl, and the strong, scary, dominatrix.

They could have laid beside each other forever. However, the hand on her thigh wanted otherwise. Ichigo opened her legs, and worked them around himself. He rolled over so that he was on top of her and could settle between her legs, and kissed her deeply. He felt her legs begin to squeeze him.

They had gone ten days apart.

Ten long days, without each other's company, without the warmth of a body beside them. It had been incredibly hellish.

Ichigo hooked his fingers around the bottom of her shirt, and quickly pulled it off. She was not wearing a bra under it, and that made him smile. He crouched back on his knees, and removed his own shirt. He kissed her again, deeply. She relaxed, and let one hand slip gently up his chest. She stroked his powerful chest with the palm of her hand, and even ventured to roll one of his nipples with her thumb. He groaned.

"Don't start something that you can't finish." He laughed, as he ground his hips into hers. Their lower halves collided, with his arousal teasing her most secret,sensitive place. They both wanted this immediately. Youri let out a quiet moan. Her eyes fell on the clock on the night table.

**5:07 a.m.**

"Mmm. Ichi-go it's five in the morning." She said quietly, while gripping on his shoulders tightly. _" _I have to get to work in a few hours." Her fiery haired husband laughed.

"Well then, consider this a wake up call." She frowned a little.

"I'm serious." He smiled.

"Okay, then how about a shower?" She frowned at him.

"Ichi-go." He sighed.

"Fine. I'll go make us some breakfast." He planted a gentle kiss on her throat. "We can get back to this tonight. We'll have plenty of time." He moved to get off the bed, only to be pulled back down, onto his back. Youri moved quickly, and straddled him. She began gently rolling her hips, teasing him.

"I said I had to go to work in a few hours. I never said we were stopping."

"That was unexpectedly sneaky." He joked. She wiggled her eyebrows at him, and let her eyes move down his body, catlike. Ichigo followed her line of vision, and saw that she had managed to get him out of his pants and underwear. HE stared at her, baffled. "How did you-"

He could not finish his sentence, because at that moment one of her small, soft hands took a hold of his length, and began gently stroking him. She ran an open palm up the length, then slid her fingertips down. He groaned in the back of his throat, making his wife smirk.

"You shouldn't underestimate me, Ichi-go. You know how sensitive my pride is." He blushed a bit. He knew she was not lying. She was so sweet and gentle, by nature, but when she had been insulted, even by the thinnest stretch of the imagination, she became a different person. She could be cocky, and the most passively aggressive person on the planet. She could even hold her own against Ichigo in a shouting match. But, by nature, she was quiet, kind, and soft. She contrasted Ichigo in almost every way, even though they were exactly the same.

She was looking down at Ichigo fondly, while she stroked him painfully slowly and tried to decide where to go from there. He brought his hands up her thighs, and let them gently grasp her hips. She was still wearing his boxers, though they looked like shorts on her. Her bare breasts hovered above him, looking more tempting every minute. He looked at her face.

She was wearing a particularly smug smile, while she was touching his length and brushing her self against his sensitized thighs. She paused her body, but maintained the painfully slow rhythm with her hand. She looked down at him with a puzzled, yet amused expression. He chuckled at her thoughtful expression.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked.

"I'm trying to decide what to do with you." She stated, dancing her fingers across the head of his penis, gaining another groan from him. "You just got home, after we were apart for ten long days. So I'm wondering if I should ride you, or if I should get back underneath you, so that I can be closer to you." She said it harshly, but there was an undertone of sincerity. She stopped torturing Ichigo with her rolling hips, and devilish hands completely, and rested them on his smooth stomach.

She sat perched on his thighs. Ichigo sat up, and wrapped his arms around her.

God, had they missed each other.

He pulled away just enough to lay gentle kisses down her neck, and between her breasts as he worked the boxers off of her. He chuckled when he saw that she happened to be wearing a pair of panties that he found extremely cute. They were a soft, white cotton with the words 'Hands Off!' across the back. He disobeyed, and scooped her butt in both of his hands and pulled them off quickly, causing her to squeak and blush in shock. He laid a hand on her cheek, and she laid one of hers on top of his.

"Are you blushing? I love that I can still make you do that, even after all these years." He murmured into her cleavage.

They were just sitting there, staring at each other, naked, and fantasizing of all the acts they could repeat. She was still straddling Ichigo, with both of them completely exposed, dripping, and more than ready. She dragged her nails down his chest, causing a dangerous look of violent lust in his eyes. She left trails of electricity burning on his skin. Youri pressed their bodies together again, so she could sit her chin on his broad shoulder. She glanced at the clock.

"It is now 5: 19 a.m." She announced, as she moved to get out of bed. Ichigo saw her heading for the bathroom and reminisced about it. He'd had her in the shower, and in the bath,on the floor, and bent over the counter, and that was only the bathroom. When he thought about it, there were only a handful of places that he had not jumped his Dominican lover.

He thought fondly about the time his father had walked in on them, in his old room, as teenagers. The old man had nearly died of shock, before praising Ichigo for bringing a beautiful woman into their home. Luckily, they both still had their underwear on, and had not started yet. Ichigo simply climbed out of bed and falcon punched his eccentric father,and knocked him out cold. It had been embarrassing for him, but amusing for her. That was why he moved into his own apartment soon following his eighteenth birthday. Youri had remained living with her host family, but spent more time in his bed than she did anywhere else. Now that they were married, he had her all to himself.

He decided to sneak up behind her, and bring her back to bed. He grabbed her around her waist, and threw her nude body over his shoulder.

"I-Ichi-go! What are you doing?" she said surprised by his boldness. He gently laid her down, and put his hands at either side of her head.

"I am about to make love to you." He said. The casual tone he used made her blush, and shift slightly. She looked up at him, loving the way he could make her feel nervous, like a virgin, all over again. She felt herself getting wet. The words he'd spoken made her feel a surge of pleasure in her abdomen, a foreshadowing of what was to come.

"Make it good." She laughed shyly.

"Of course." He promised, with a kiss to her forehead.

He lifted her thighs, and entered her slowly. They both gasped with every inch that slid in. When he was fully sheathed inside her, Ichigo paused to take in the beauty that lay beneath him. Youri began to breathe heavily, and to push herself on him, and get as much of him as deep inside her as she could. And then, Ichigo pulled back out, almost all the way, before sliding back in, slowly. Youri found herself panting and running her hands down his sides. This was euphoric. Slow, kind, intimate lovemaking, like you would expect on an anniversary, not a reunion.

"Ichi-go-please- faster- harder." She panted quietly. He fulfilled her request, and increased his pace with every stroke. He gave her a few strokes to adjust to the new speed, before he began pounding her

more roughly. He knew her body well enough to know where all her spots were, and he hit every one of them. Youri moaned loudly beneath him.

"Ichi-go..." was all she could manage. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into another passionate kiss. Their tongues desperately searched each other's mouthes. Youri felt her pleasure reaching its limits.

"Ichi-go, please stop." she moaned. He slowed his savage pace, coming to a complete halt in a few seconds. He looked at her concerned.

"What's wrong, Youri?" He was half afraid to have his question answered. He stared with nervous concern. Her hair was mussed against the pillows. Her body shook with pleasure, and her face mirrored it quite clearly. They were slick with sweat, shining in the first rays of sunlight, and panting heavily. He had more than enough stamina to continue, as well as the helpless need to move. He was still fully sheathed inside of her tight, hot, moistness, but had stopped his movements as she requested.

"Ichi-go"

"Yes?"

"Could we- I mean, would it be okay if I want... to continue this in a different position?" He let out a breath of relief that he did not realize he was holding. Thank goodness. She just wanted to change positions.

"Of course. For a second I thought I was hurting you. What position do you want?" She looked away.

"Yeah, about that." She started to blush again when he raised an eyebrow. "I-I want you to do this from behind me." Ichigo smirked, causing her to blush even deeper.

"Oh? So you've become a fan of the doggy position while I was away." He leaned in closer to her, putting their foreheads together.

"And also, Ichi-go?" He raised his eyebrow at her again.

"Yes?" He said smugly. She gulped. He was going to really enjoy this.

"Is it okay if I want it a little rougher?" She said shyly. Ichigo could sense her embarrassment at begging him for something so raunchy. He quickly slid out of her, and flipped her onto her hands and knees. He slammed back into her without preamble or warning, causing her to cry out in pleasure. This was her first experience with this particular position. It was a new angle for her, and she was not sure how to contain her pleasure. The pressure hit different spots. Particularly, a place in the front of her gave her the most intense pleasure she had ever felt, when Ichigo slammed into it. It made her elbows buckle, and her entire body shake. Ichigo felt so powerful, and so sexy, watching her shake from the pleasure he gave her. He picked up his speed as fast as he could, and felt pure arousal when she yelled out his name.

"ICHI-GO! More!"

"More?" He sneered darkly. He grabbed her by her hips and began moving her body in tune with his thrusts, making them impossibly deep and hard. "You like it like this, don't you?" Youri could barely form words. He erratic breath did not satisfy his want for an answer,so he took a handful of her hair and pulled back, so that he could pant into her ear with steamy breath. "Answer me, Youri. Do you like it like this?"

"YES!" she screamed.

"Yeah? Who taught you while I was gone?"

"I did." She whined. Ichigo stopped cold, to his wifes dismay.

"Did you touch yourself while I was gone?" He asked..

"I... practiced, yes."she said quietly.

"With what?" He asked her, teasingly. She bit her lip. A look of dark possession clouded in his eyes. It was almost as if he became someone else when they got rough. She found it sexy, yet a little dangerous. Where was he going with this? She felt him slide out.

"Did you buy a toy?" She flushed all over her body. Ichigo grinned, and started digging around in the night table. "Hmm. I'd say that's a yes. I can see it now. You, all alone in this house, with the curtains drawn and the lights off. You come home from work feeling so drained,and then you decide to give yourself a treat. You strip yourself, and run your hands all over your body, like this." He whispered, as he ghosted his hands all over her body. "You try and mimic the way I touch you, and make it feel just like this." He went down her back with a single finger. His hands hooked around her sides, reaching to fondle her breasts and tease her nipples. She hissed in ecstasy. "Then, you lay yourself in bed. You begin to brush a hand over your most secret place." He reached a hand down, and began circling her clit. Youri felt like she was going to pass out from the teasing pleasure, or kill Ichigo if he did not finish her soon. "And you do this until you find yourself looking to where your toy is, longing for it. Maybe you take it and enter yourself slowly... Or maybe you hold yourself open and thrust it in as hard and fast as you can. That way you could pretend I was here, making love to you."

Suddenly, something was inside her, filling her completely. It was not the familiar warmth of Ichigo's cock, it was cold. It was not as thick as Ichigo, but it was longer. She realized, it was her toy.

"How did you get- Oh MY GOD!" Her arms gave out when he turned the vibration on. She laid there, face down, ass up, with her orange haired, but devious husband holding a vibrator inside her.

"Hush." He commanded. "You used that toy to bring yourself to this place. The same place I had you a minute ago. Tell me, my love. When you came, you screamed my name, didn't you?" She nodded helplessly into the pillow, as he began a slow rhythm. He moved the toy in and out of her, while its vibrations sent pleasure up her spine and into her groin. Her desperate moans made his full cock twinge in want. He removed the toy quickly,and replaced it with his own manhood.

"Now, use me the same way. Show me how you taught yourself doggy style." Youri pushed herself back up, and began impaling herself with Ichigo's cock from behind. She couldn't hold back her screams any longer. Her voice along with her tightening walls brought Ichigo closer and closer to the edge as well. He was enjoying the show, watching a beautiful woman use his length to get off.

"Yeah, more of that. Keep screaming." She obeyed, and unleashed a scream that bounced off the walls of their bedroom. Youri gripped the sheets. She was impossibly close.

"So close. Ichi-go, please finish me." she moaned. She let her head drop. When she opened her eyes, she had a great view of the carnage. From between her legs, she could watch Ichigo's length sliding in and out of her without mercy.

"What's my name?" He grunted harshly, his voice fogged with carnal need. His wife threw back her head and screamed.

"Ichi-go! So good... I-I love you." Ichigo felt his wave of angry lust fade at her words. He leaned back, so that he was sitting, and Youri was in his lap, still impaled and squirming. He rested his forehead on her sweaty back.

" I love you too, Youri...Spin around, Youri. I want to finish this facing you." Youri nodded weakly she lifted herself slightly, and turned herself around. Ichigo thoroughly enjoyed watching her move herself on his dick. It was incredibly sexy. She let out quiet moans as her walls rubbed against him. The heat, and the impossible closeness made this single action, turning around without pulling out , a dark pleasure for them both. Once she was facing him, she made direct eye contact with her beloved. She put a hand on his chest and pushed him down on his back. She began slamming herself down, and riding him roughly, never breaking eye contact. Now it was Ichigo's turn to moan.

"God, Youri!" He panted. "When did you get this hot?" She was too busy trying to breathe to blush again. She knew Ichigo liked the dirty talk, and rough sex, but it was embarrassing for her.

"I-I just missed you a lot." she answered. He chuckled.

"I missed you too." He reached up and began massaging her breasts. Her head fell back and she let out a small mewl. Ichigo pushed her and rolled them so that he was on top of her again. He maintained the rhythm she had been riding him at. His hands went down to hers and interlocked. He brought them up above her head, and pressed them into the sheets as he pounded her into the mattress. "Say it again... Tell me you love me, just once more."

"I love you, Ichi-go." She said for the thousand time. He brought their lips together. That single action brought Youri over the edge. She came, and called out his name, but gently, like she felt nothing but calm wash over her.

"Ichi-go." She purred in a deep sigh. Her inner walls spasmed, pulling her husband over the edge right behind her. He panted for a few moments, waiting for the shaking of his body to stop, before he fell onto his back, and pulled his wife into his chest.

"That was... oh my God." she murmured.

"You can call me Ichigo." He joked. She playfully smacked his chest.

He peeked at the clock.

"It's 6:03." He chuckled. She laughed deeply.

"I think I will take today off. After all, I am the boss. " He kissed the top of her hair lovingly, and pulled her smaller body closer to him.

"Good." he said with a smirk. "I was hoping to spend more time with you today." She blushed again. "Oh, Youri. When you blush like that you make me want to throw you down again, and do you endlessly." He looked down at his dark skinned goddess. "In fact, your new found kinkiness is so arousing, I think I want to have you again... I think I will make early morning sex a habit." Youri looked up at him with a very clear 'if you fuck up this moment I will kill you' look in her eyes, so he didn't move. She kissed one of his nipples, just to tease him.

"I missed you so much, Ichi-go." she looked down, eying his manhood, just to the right of her belly. "I missed your ginger pubes as well." Now it was Ichigo's turn to blush. That was her ace in the hole. It made his cock twitch with desire, just knowing that she was eying his piece. He had a fleeting desire to throw her beneath him, and force himself inside her again. He felt her body slide down his. He was not sure what she was planning, but he had hopes. He felt her hot breath on his flaccid length, awakening it, but not arousing him. He shot a wild glance down at her. She was smirking back up at him, with quiet devilment in her eyes. But he could sense her uncertainty in her posture.

This was something that they had done before, but it was rare. Youri was not concerned about the act itself, she was always just a little worried about being adequate. The first time she tried this, she had gagged and nearly passed out for lack of air, so Ichigo stopped her every time that she attempted in the future. He kicked himself in the balls for his concerned nature. He was probably the only guy in the world that would turn down oral sex. She had eventually learned to handle it better, and become rather good at it.

She gave the head of his cock a tentative lick, and then made eye contact with him. He gave he a nod of approval, so she brought him into her mouth as much as she could, and began slowly bobbing her head. He grunted. She swirled her tongue, and sucked. She nibbled lightly on his shaft, and varied pressures, speed, and the use of her tongue. Ichigo could tell she was trying, and succeeding, so he felt a little praise was in order.

"God, Youri. You're so good." She licked the underside of his cock, making him shiver. "Oh, you naughty girl...When I get up I'm going to repay you." Even though his dirty talk and bragging were embarrassing for her, she was beginning to find it arousing too. Then she had a thought. She flashed back to when Ichigo had pounded her into oblivion using her toy. The subtle vibrations had driven her insane with pleasure. She wanted to know if they would work on him. She started humming the tune of Asterisk by Orange Range around his cock. Ichigo had to strain to keep from going over the edge. She giggled and changed the melody she was humming to that of Arigatou by Home Made Kazoku.

"My favorite song...Oh, Youri! God, are you going to pay for that." She smiled. She had big bad Ichigo Kurosaki writhing and moaning helplessly. He tossed his head from side to side.

"Youri, I'm gonna come." He warned her. She nodded and accepted his release into her mouth. He had to try not to come again when he watched her swallow his seed, before dropping him from her mouth with a quiet pop. "Oh, Mrs. Kurosaki. You are in so much trouble." He said darkly.

It happened in a heartbeat, so there was no way for her to react. Ichigo flipped Youri onto her back beneath him. He reached onto the floor, and removed his belt from his pants, the same way he unsheathed his sword., before tossing them onto the floor again. He seized both of her tiny wrists in one hand and dragged her to the headboard. He used his belt to secure her hands to the headboard. He looked her over and smiled at her sadistically. He trailed a fingertip down her chest, then thrust it into her. She squirmed at his touch.

"Ichi-go..." she moaned loudly. He smirked at her.

"Mind your volume, Youri. We wouldn't want the neighbors calling the police again."

"You're so mean." She whined quietly. It did not take his long, skilled fingers long to coax his wifes second orgasm of the day to the surface. He stopped, just before she came, much to her dismay. Ichigo called her name.

"Youri, open your eyes." she obeyed, only to find him hovering his lips above her groin. He was about to return the gesture, and pleasure her with his mouth as well. He had never attempted that before, and that made her both nervous, and excited. His lips brushed against her inner thighs, making her whine.

"Ichi-go... Don't tease." She did not get to complete her thought because her began melting her brains. He pulled gently with his lips, and let his tongue dart in and out, shallowly. He found a little pink nub just above her entrance, and dragged his teeth over it, gently. His wife's thrashing, and latching her hands in his hair and forcing his head down was all the hint he needed. He began sucking, licking, and all but devouring the nub. He vaguely recalled playing with it during their foreplay sessions, and was happy to see its full potential. His wife let out a final scream of ecstasy, before going limp. He knew that he had taken her over the edge.

Ichigo crawled up beside his exhausted, satisfied, and glowing lady, released her arms from their bounds, and returned her to her place in his chest. He pulled the covers back over them, and laid back.

As he fell asleep, he dreamed of a cloudy blue sky. Glass skyscrapers were all around him, and somehow, he could defy gravity, and stand on the side of one. He knew this dream. It wasn't a dream: He'd been pulled into his inner world. To his right, an old man stood atop a flagpole. He was accompanied by a pale boy, that resembled Ichigo, when he was fifteen. His clothing was the inversion of the soul reapers robes, and his eyes were black with yellow iris's. He recognized them: they were the manifstation of his zanpakuto, and his inner hollow. He did not know why, but they had brought him here. His inner hollow smirked, and spoke first.

"_That was quite a performance, king. That broad sure knows how to give it good, huh?" he sneered. _

"Shut your damn mouth." He snapped tiredly. "I'm not letting you ruin this."

"_Ruin it? Not at all. I quite enjoyed that, didn't you, Zangetsu? And from the look on her face, I'd say she did too." he replied. _

Ichigo frowned. He knew that his inner hollow, and the spirit of his zanpakuto could see and feel everything that he could, but that didn't stop it from being weird. Zangetsu normally didn't judge him, but his inner hollow was both intrusive, and nosy. When he was with Youri, he could almost constantly hear the echoing voice of his inner hollow making snide comments about her.

_Take off her top, Ichigo. Do it. _

_Wow, are you going to let her talk to you like that? Take off her top, Ichigo._

_She's talking to you about her day without a top on, and you're listening to her? The hell is the matter with you?_

It drove him nuts. Sometimes, he wished he knew how to enter his inner world on his own. If he did, he would have beaten the crap out of that perverted bastard. He looked to Zangetsu.

"Why have you summoned me here? It's been over a year since I've seen you." he said pleasantly.

The old man lifted his head.

"Ichigo." He descended his flagpole and approached him, the hollow following close behind. "I have brought you here to talk to you about an important matter."

"_It's your bimbo."_The hollow clarified.

"You're pushing your luck." Ichigo growled. Zangetsu continued, as if he hadn't heard any of their sidebar comments.

"Ichigo. This woman is a human, and you are a soul reaper." he stated. " And, although you do not find it desirable, Urahara was justified in his suggestion." Ichigo could only stare at the old man.

"What are you saying?" he asked defensively.

"_What, do we have to spell it out for you?" _his inner hollow snapped. _"When you're around, your elevated spiritual pressure attracts hollows, and when you are near her, the shit sticks to her like lint." _Ichigo frowned, but the hollow continued. _"Think about it. When you smell muffins, you run toward the scent, because you want to have a muffin. Hollows are the same. If we smell food, we go toward it. The problem is that when they follow your spiritual pressure, they find only find your wife. You might as well have put a target on her ass. Imagine if instead of delicious muffins, you found muffin scented toast." He raised a finger. "That would piss you off, huh?"_

Ichigo had to restrain the urge to punch his inner hollow.

"That's not the only thing pissing me off."

"_It would probably make you want to kick whoever made the muffin scented toast's ass. Unlike you, a hungry, pissed, and disappointed hollow will eat the muffin scented toast anyway, just to whet their appetite for the real thing. Do you understand where I'm going with this?" _He asked. Ichigo scowled deeply. Sometimes he really wanted this bastard out of his head. His inner hollow rolled his eyes.

"_In other words, you're pissing off the hollows, and putting her magnificent breasts in danger."_

"Yeah, I got that, you damn psychopath!" he fumed. "But there's no need to worry. Hollows can try all they like: I'm not going to let anything harm her." He stated.

"How can you be sure of that?"Zangetsu countered. "Are you willing to bet an innocent life on your boastful pride? Do you value her that little?" At that Ichigo scoffed, and turned his back on his master.

"If that's all you needed to tell me, I'm leaving now."

"Ichigo, that was not all." He called. The young man turned to the spirits within him. "Somethings coming, Ichigo. Something more powerful than you could imagine." The tone in his voice was serious. "There has been a great disturbance among all of the souls. Can you not sense it?"

Ichigo felt something happening inside him. There was great tension. He felt uneasy. The old man was not kidding.

"What does thismean, Zangetsu?"

"This means that there is something troubling the flow of souls between the worlds." He sighed. "The soul king himself has tightened his grip on us all."


	3. Chapter 3

Leaps of Faith

{Summary: Youri begins having doubts about Ichigo's line of work. She has before, but why can't she shake the feeling this time? Will it end their marriage, or will she stand by her man? * language, violence, and dramatic themes*}

Youri had never felt more amazingly spent. She and Ichigo always had sex. Quick sex, passionate sex, revenge sex, angry sex, kinky sex, 'I missed you' sex, shower sex... But it was exceedingly rare that they had the time to have sex _like that_- the kind that couldn't be called sex anymore. They had made love. As she stared at his still sleeping face, she couldn't help but smile. He looked like a little boy when he was asleep. So cute, and worry free, just relaxed.

Youri peeked up at the clock.

**7:45 a.m.**

She sighed. She looked down at Ichigo,as he slept beside her. She hated running off while he was asleep. It felt too much like a one night stand. (Even though that was one of their favorite role playing fantasies.)

_I should go to work. If I have time to make it, then I should go... _

She quickly got showered, , but paused to make an omelet. She put it in the microwave and jotted down a small note for him on the nightstand.

Breakfast in microwave.

See you for lunch at my office

- Youri

Youri tried her hardest to get dressed as quietly as possible. She got her pencil skirt, suit jacket, and jewelry on, then pulled her hair up into a neat little bun. She grabbed her purse and keys, and a pair of high heels to change into in the car, and went to give her very sexy, and very worn out husband a soft kiss before she left. She looked at the clock again.

**8:48a.m.**

"Oh crap. I have to leave now!"

She ran, shoes in hand to the garage, and climbed into the drivers seat of her white BMW. She fumbled with the garage door opener, and missed the button at least twice before the door began to roll upward, revealing the moderate drizzle that had already saturated the road. She frowned.

"Oh great, now I have to speed through the rain to get to work on time. Dammit Ichigo! We have to stop having sex during the work week!" She thought about that for a moment, and burst into laughter. Yeah right, like she could ever resist those brown eyes, or that deep, velvety, voice... Or those strong arms... Or that orange hair... When she realized that she'd sat there daydreaming about him, she shooke her head, and laid it against the steering wheel in defeat.

"How is it that you turn me- a valedictorian, a maxima cum laude, and someone with two masters and two PHD's- into a giant horny mess?" Even though she didn't say it out loud, she thought it.

_Because you're the only one that ever could._

That thought put a huge smile on her face. Even as she sped through yellow lights, cut off some dude in a Honda, and flew down the highway at seventy in a fifty-five mile per hour zone, the smile remained. It was gone for a minute when she saw a taxi in her parking spot, but returned when she saw a woman in labor being escorted from it by, presumably, her husband. After she parked her car, she immediately went to help the couple.

They were bout the same age as her, she noticed. Somehow, they felt really familiar. The woman was very petite- like half a foot shorter than Youri- with big blue eyes and shoulder length black hair. Her companion was very tall- maybe taller than Ichigo. She noticed his very... unique body art and bright red hair, which sat messily all over his head. They were both still in their pajamas, so she figured they'd rushed out of bed to get to the hospital.

"I am Dr. Kamachii. How long have you been in labor?" She said, while flashing her hospital I.D., and effectively hiding her accent.

"My water broke half an hour ago." she panted.

Youri looked at her companion, who looked rather scared. And noticed he looked rather familiar. "You're the proud papa I presume?" She said kindly to the red head, who stood dutifully by his lady's side. He nodded, and from his expression, it was probably best he didn't speak.

"How's the pain?" Youri asked, while escorting them inside.

"Not too ba- OH MY GOD!" she snapped, and squeezed her man's arm for dear life.

"OW! Jesus, Rukia!" He yelped. A devilish look came over her face, and she directed it to him.

"Shut. The hell up, Renji. You did this to me, and since you're at fault, you should just shut up and take it like a man!"

A light bulb went off in Youri's mind.

"Wait, your names wouldn't be... Kuchiki and Abarai, would they?" Between yelps of pain the man nodded. "I remember you two. You were Ichigo's friends!" At that, they both gave her a confused look. "It's me, Youri. We used to eat lunch together in school." They still looked puzzled. "I was valedictorian, class president, and captain of the math team." When they shook their heads, she sighed. So much for having an identity. "I was Ichigo's girlfriend."

"OH!" They both said in realization.

"Oh yeah! I remember you now. I could never forget a body like yours." Renji said. After a slap to the head from his baby's momma, he amended his statement. "I meant, I could never forget _somebody _like you. How did that work out anyway, you and Kurosaki? I still can't believe he could handle those tits- I-I-I mean, your _wit_."

Rukia was giving him a look of pure hatred at the moment, but he knew better than to make eye contact.

"Yeah." Rukia began. "It was kind of shocking that you two were dating, I mean you didn't have a lot in common. I would've thought you and Ishida would have dated, since you were both honor students... Then again, considering your body shape, you were probably a little too much for Ishida."

Youri smiled.

"Well, we were academic rivals, so there was no chance of us ever dating... After school, Ichigo and I went our separate ways. He went to Tokyo University, and I went to Hokkaido University in Sapporo." For a moment she drifted into the past, and remembered that day. She'd never felt so awful! She was the one to say that they should just move on. Even though she couldn't see it, or hear it in his voice, she saw the heartbreak in his eyes when he shrugged and said _"If that's what you want"_. She remembered how she'd held on all week, until her roommate was gone, and then spent half the day crying. How could he just shrug it off? Had their time together mattered that little to him?

Then she smiled, and told the story.

"We were apart for about a month, and then I walked out of my dormitory one morning, and he was outside. He retook the college entrance examination so that he could go to Hokkaido with me."

It all came washing back. The way he stood, leaning against the brick wall of the girls dormitories, his hands in his pockets, and determination on his face. She hadn't seen him at first, and went to greet one of her male classmates with a smile. They were chatting about the law of great numbers, when he suddenly smirked. She didn't remember what he said, but it had pissed her off enough for the to slap the hell out of him. He'd raised his hand to slap her back, but never got the chance. There was a flash of orange, and her classmate was on the ground, face in the grass and a foot on the back of his head, and Ichigo holding his arm behind his back. She remembered him yelling, and threatening that poor boy's life for even thinking about putting his hands on his woman.

After she pulled him off of her classmate, he'd thrown her over his shoulder, and taken off running, even with her protests. He brought her to his apartment, where he explained his presence, apologized for letting her go without a fight, and they'd reconciled their relationship. And, well you can use your imagination.

Youri didn't come out of her dreamy state, even when she departed from the maternity ward, went back to her office, and began filing paperwork. Even while she was yelling at someone for something they'd screwed up, she did it with a loving smile on her face. She didn't snap out of it, until her secretary called.

"Excuse me, Doctor? Chairman Ishida is here for you."

"Oh, well, what line is he on?"

"Um, ma'am... He's here in person. He just got in the elevator-"

"Oh SHIT!" She exclaimed. "Orihime, don't you think It was kind of important to tell me my boss's boss was here?"

"I'm sorry. It's just, I think of him as my father-in-law, not my boss's-boss's-boss."

At that moment, Youri's office door opened, and she hung up the phone immediately, before making a low bow.

"Chairman Ishida. What a surprise."She strained.

"Please, spare me the pleasantries. I can tell from the look on your face, you aren't happy to see me. Then again, I could imagine why."He didn't smile, and his voice was like ice all the time. "I'm afraid this particular visit is purely business."

Youri tried not to look at him. It made her feel sick to her stomach.

"Just tell me what you want, so we can get this over with."

"Why the rush? You're not... intimidated are you?" He let a small smile cross his lips, but it wasn't a nice one. His smile was filled with cruel amusement. "That doesn't matter. I came here to give you some good news... You're a wonderful doctor. Possibly better than any of the others on the staff. And the fact that you have become so proficient at such a young age is very impressive... And that is not something I say lightly."

"So what? Are you going to give me a gold star? Get to it."

"My, my. You're still so impatient. You haven't changed at all in eleven years." Youri was silent. What could she say against him? "If you must have it your way... I've come to offer you the position of Medical Dean at Karakura Hospital." He stepped closer. "But, It's going to cost you."

She narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"I want you to divorce Ichigo Kurosaki immediately. I figured you would look at me like that." He chuckled cruelly. "He's holding you back."

"From what, your bedroom?" She growled.

"Don't act so high and mighty. It's not as if you haven't been there a handful of times already- and frankly, I you aren't nearly as the woman you were back then." He smirked. "You are of no interest to me." She looked away.

Youri kept her mouth shut, and her eyes glued to her desk.

"Don't worry, you won't be fired, and your promotion will still take effect- I'm just one of the chairmen, remember? The vote was unanimous amongst us, and you are still of use." He turned to leave. "Before I go, I want you to really consider your situation. You and Ichigo Kurosaki began dating eleven years ago. You married eight years ago, and yet nothing has changed." He paused at the door. "Think about it. Can you trust a husband who disappears for weeks at a time, with no warning and no explanation?"

She shot out of her seat.

"He-He's an Agent of the FBI! He has no control over-"

The older man snorted.

"You honestly believe that boy is an FBI agent? That's just pathetic. Just because he was first to offer doesn't mean you have to settle... You have my number. Contact me when you get tired of being taken for a fool."

And with that, he left her in her office. Alone, wounded, and filled with turmoil. She took her seat again, but couldn't sit still. She opened her desk drawer and pulled out her old friend: a carton of cigarettes. She promised Ichigo she would stop- and she had. But right now, she needed one. She hid the package in her purse, to keep anyone from seeing, got into the elevator and rode it up to the roof. She Lit up, an stood at the protective fence. Though considering how old and rusty it was, protective wasn't really the right word. She flashed back to the past.

It was a stormy night in Seattle. Thunder and lightning and rain had come from nowhere on her way to the take her father his dinner at the docks. She was allowed to do things like that, now that she was fifteen. She ran through the rain with no umbrella, barely able to see, until headlights surrounded her. She held up her hands in time to see a limousine come to a screeching halt just a few yards away. She stood there in shock. Had she really almost died? Thank goodness she hadn't. Her mother would never forgive her. She vaguely remembered hearing someone yelling at her about being in the road in a rainstorm... And then, she fainted.

When she came to, hours later, she wasn't in the street where she fainted, or even her house. She was In hospital bed. No, she hadn't been hit by the car, but the driver had insisted on taking her to the hospital anyway... Well, the driver's boss had insisted, and had offered to foot the bill as well. As if he'd been watching and waiting, an older man strode into her hospital room. She'd been hypnotized by his silver hair and intense eyes, even though this man was old enough to be her father. That didn't change the fact her was very handsome. That was the day she was introduced to Ryuken Ishida, and in many ways, the last day she saw through the eyes of a child.

After apologizing for nearly running her over, he'd explained that he'd offered to sponsor her overseas studies, and that her mother had agreed already.

"_You didn't hit me, so you don't owe me anything. Why would you do this?" She'd asked._

"_Your mother wouldn't stop yelling about how you were too intelligent to be run over. I asked her how intelligent you were, and I was impressed by what I heard... She broke into tears when she said the medical bill would probably deplete what little she'd put away for your college education. As someone who is very intellectually gifted, but whose parent had no money for my college education, I sympathize. So, I'll be paying for this hospital visit and funding your college education."_

"_In exchange for what?"_

"_You are to study abroad in Japan, starting next semester, and you must attend the same college I went to."_

"_That's all?"_

No... That wasn't all. Not by a long shot. The moment they were overseas, he'd seduced her... If you could call It that. It hadn't been seductive, or sexy, or any of the words that comes to mind when one thinks about seduction. Was he good? Hell yes. Youri wasn't a whore, but she was no virgin. She'd had sex with only one partner before that point. She knew what she liked, and Ryuken had done none of those things. There was no eye contact, no kissing, no afterglow, no cuddling. Just pleasurable sex, but never enough to make her come. Not even once.

Ichigo was the only one who had ever taken her there. He made it his business to make her come first, so that she could come more than once, or at least at the same time he did. They were seventeen the first time they slept together, and according to him, she was his first... Where had he learned to touch a woman like that? To kiss there, or thrust at that particular angle?

When he asked her out at the end of freshman year, she had no reason to refuse. She couldn't say 'Sorry, I'm sleeping with Ishida's father because he's paying my college tuition'. She told Ryuken that very day that someone had asked her out, and she agreed to deter suspicion. He was fine with that. But the moment she mentioned Ichigo's name, he'd gotten angry, without showing it in his face or voice. But, he'd broken up with her, if you can call it that. He promised that he was still going to honor his agreement, but swore he would never touch her as long as she was dealing with 'that boy'.

"_It's rather sad. You could have simply rejected his offer, but instead you have chosen to do something so whorish I don't have words for it... You're quite pathetic."_

"You bastard... I was only fifteen. You didn't force me, but just because I was fully developed didn't make me a woman." She felt like crying, but she couldn't. She didn't have time. She and Ichigo were going to meet for lunch in a little while. Her eyes would still be red and puffy, and the moment he looked at her and saw she'd been crying, he wouldn't let it rest. He would corner her, and then take her in his arms, and hold her close until she told him the truth. In the past, she'd blamed her crying fits on her fear of storms, or on the mudslide one had caused when she was young, which buried half of her family alive, and damaged her mind...

But, she couldn't blame Ryuken Ishida. She hadn't refused when he said things he shouldn't have said to a fifteen year old, or when she'd followed him upstairs, let him pull off her clothes, and thrust into her, for the first of many times, without preamble, and no foreplay. He'd been careful not to injure her, or leave any obvious injuries, but he wasn't at all tender... She'd been a living blow-up doll.

On the rooftop that day she sighed. She could have worked at any hospital in the world, but she couldn't bare to force Ichigo to leave his family. Sure, she had family back in the United States, but she'd gotten used to only seeing them a few times a year. They could have moved to another town, but his influence wouldn't disappear. He'd know where she was practicing medicine, no matter where she went.

And then, a voice spoke to her.

"He has a point you know. Ichigo is always running off without a word."

Youri didn't need to look up. She knew who's voice it was.

"He goes fight crime, and protect people. That was his dream, and I support him, even if it means I'll be alone sometimes."

"You're going to _choose _to be unhappy?" The voice condescended. "That's stupid."

"You don't understand! I...I can't lose him. He's the one I can't be without, and I am his."

"Are you sure? What about that girl, Rukia? She was really close to him back then, and so was Orihime... And the class reunion was the week you were in Hong Kong. He had no trouble going without you, and was an hour late getting you from the airport...You know, if she's giving birth today... then the reunion would have been about the time she got pregnant."

"NO! Don't even suggest something so vile!" She almost shouted, forcing her companion to silence themself. "Ichigo wouldn't do that. Not something like that."

"Because he's so trustworthy, right? Idiot! You're just another weak willed woman. Ryuken was right. You are pathetic. You should just climb this rickety fence, and jump."

Youri stared at the rust on the chain linked fence and thought.

"What would dying solve? Nothing. And I love Ichigo too much to do that!"

She leaned on the fence so that she could see down the street and in the direction he would come from. "He's coming. He'll be here at 12:45. He's never late for our lunch dates." She glanced at her watch. It read 1:26. She shook her head. "He's... worn out from the trip, and from this morning... He's coming. You'll see." She leaned onto the fence a little more.

She heard her companion sigh. "You really are sad. Let me put you out of your misery."

Ichigo woke with a start. He had been mid sentence with Zangetsu and his inner hollow, when a strange feeling brought him back into consciousness. Their conversation disturbed him deeply, and the restriction of spiritual pressure wasn't helping. It was like someone put a fence around his energy. It was like a wild animal in a cage- surging against the barriers. It made him uneasy, but Zangetsu's warning hadn't helped at all.

"_The soul king has tightened his grip on us all. That means that in every world- Soul Society, hell, Hueco Mundo, the Precipice world, and the world of the living- have been sealed off from each other. No spirit can get in or out."_

"_So soul reapers, along with the souls they are purifying and sending to soul society, hollows, and anything else are all just stuck where they are?"_

"_Precisely. It is likely that communications have been cut between the worlds as well. As a result, it is now much easier for hollows that are already here to find you and track your spiritual pressure. This includes the very potent traces of it which you have left on your wife. It's best you take your soul reaper form and trail her until the worlds are reconnected, and there are less hollows lingering."_

"_Yeah, follow good old juicy-jiggly around. I don't mind watching that!" His inner hollow licked his lips. It took everything Ichigo had to ignore him. "You know what you should do? Unbutton sugar tits' shirt while you're following her. She'll freak out, and think her boobs got bigger... Or better yet, wait until she's in the shower, and -"_

_Ichigo whirled around, and gave his inner hollow a look that made him stop talking all together._

"_Why is this happening in the first place? It seems like a lot of trouble, and its dangerous for everyone in every world."_

"_Ichigo, when the soul king tightens his grip, and closes the worlds-"_

And then he awoke. He looked at the clock and saw the time. 12:50

"Oh man, I have to go meet Youri at the hospital, and it's my turn to bring lunch."

Ichigo took a quick shower, and put on the first thing he saw- jeans a t-shirt and a hoodie. His hair was still wet when he got into his car- not that it mattered. It got spiky on its own. He decided to grab fast food on the way, so he wouldn't have to be much later. Parking wasn't difficult to find on this day, but that was compensated for by a crowd of people, who were all gathered around the entrance he always used to go up to her office. As he got closer he could make out pieces of the commotion.

"Oh my god!"

"I don't know, she was just lying here!"

"Get a doctor!"

All of those comments began to affect him for some reason. As he got closer, he noticed Orihime, sitting on the ground, looking rather pale. He walked over to her.

"Oi, Orihime. What's going on? You look awful."

She looked up at him, and paled a little more. Her mouth opened, then closed, and then she began to cry. Now he was even more worried.

"Come on, what's wrong? Did you and Uryuu have a fight?"

She shook her head.

"Ichigo... Oh Ichigo!" She fell onto his chest, soaking it with her tears. "Youri...She's dead."

Ichigo shook his head. He must have misheard her.

"I'm sorry. What?"

She took a deep breath. "Youri went up to the roof. She had a meeting with the chairman, and went up there to smoke afterwards-She thinks I don't know, but she goes up there to smoke a few times a month, even though she quit...The safety fence on the roof-it's rusted and... she leaned on it. The bearings snapped and it fell... and... so did Youri." She looked up at him, barely able to move. "I saw her falling. My desk faces that window." she pointed to a window on the eight floor. "The building is eleven stories... She fell from roof and... Youri is dead!"

Ichigo couldn't comprehend it. Youri was... dead. Just like that?... No! No! He wouldn't accept that. It just couldn't be true.

"Why... what kind of person lies like that? Huh? You think it's funny!"

"Ichigo, it's not a lie. Go... Go look for yourself."She managed, pointing shakily in the direction of the crowd. He walked briskly towards the crowd, and felt his heart pounding with ever step. He nudged his way through to the front, but wasn't prepared for what he saw.

Less than five feet away, Youri laid on the sidewalk. One of her high heels dangled from the tip of her toe, the other had gone mussing. Her body looked broken. Both of her legs, and one of her arms was broken, and the angle of her wrist made it clear it was shattered as well. She was on her stomach, her beautiful eyes were wide open, seeing nothing, and a pool of blood flowed from beneath her head and chest. Her bun had somehow stayed intact.

This awful sight made him drop their food. He fell on his knees beside her, gently shaking her shoulder, as if it would wake her.

"Youri? Youri! Are you okay? Please answer me!" He frowned "Youri, this isn't funny.. cut it out!" He shook her harder. "Damnit, no! Wake up!" He yelled. When he retracted his hand, he saw her blood had stained it, and lost his charade.

There was no denying it.

Youri was dead.

He held her body to his, as he broke down. He saw a drop of water on her cheek and thought it was rain, but then he realized it was his own tears. This was the first time that he'd ever cried in the presence of anyone, since his mother died. He hadn't ever shed tears in battle, not even when his wrist had been intentionally broken, or when his heart had been pierced.

"Who did this? Who the hell did this? Whoever you are, I swear I will kill you!" He screamed into the crowd. He couldn't hold his anger. Not with her dead body in his arms. He couldn't do anything...


End file.
